GH CAN Leadership 9/6/17

GH CAN Leadership Notes 9/6/17

Attendance:

1.      Brian Baker, SPI

2.      Sonia Brown, CRT

3.      Sarah DiMaio, SAMH

4.      Kara Capobianco, DOH

5.      Fred Faulkner, The Open Hearth

6.      Louis Gilbert, ImmaCare

7.      Mollie Greenwood, Journey Home

8.      Dave Martineau, Mercy Housing

9.      Kyren McCorey, The Open Hearth

10.   Matt Morgan, Journey Home

11.   Diane Paige-Blondette, My Sister’s Place

12.   Lisa Quach, Journey Home

13.   Amy Robinson, US Dept. of Veteran Affairs

14.   Iris Ruiz, Interval House

15.   Barbara Shaw, Hands on Hartford

16.   Lauren Fair, SAMH

17.   John Lawlor, The Connection

18.   Justine Couvares, Chrysalis Center

19.   Ymonne Wilson, CRT

20.   Matthew Colson, Veterans’ Inc.

21.   Stephanie Corbin, Mercy

Tomorrow’s Rally  

1.      How many people will each agency be bringing?

o   Dave, Mercy Housing & Shelter – Supportive Housing will bring 15 people. Friendship center about 15-20.

o   My Sister’s Place will bring people – number unknown.

o   Barbara Shaw, Hands on Hartford – At least 10. May have more.

o   Chrysalis – 2 buses and everyone will be dressed in bright green t-shirts – about 100 people.

o   Salvation Army – 5-10 people. Posted for all of residents in shelter.

o   The Open Hearth – coming, uncertain about number of people.

o   ImmaCare – Uncertain about number of people but will have van.

o   CRT – 2 confirmed clients – 4 or 5 staff

o   Interval House – 3 clients & 3 staff

o   Veteran’s Inc – 2 staff

o   The Connection – at least 12

o   Have shelters announce the rally to the clients.

Shelter Priority List Process Updates

1.      GH CAN is currently piloting new program. There have been some disconnect between diversion center, shelters and smart sheet waitlist. Steve has scheduled trainings for staff on new process. Emails have been sent out.

o   By 8am, shelters will update shelter availability smartsheet. Shelters should continue to update the smartsheet even if they have no availability. If smartsheet hasn’t been updated in 5 days, JH will reach out to agency.

2.      This new process will allow Stephanie at MDC and outreach workers to make immediate referrals to shelter beds. We are trying to bridge the gap where shelters have openings and they have clients presenting in dire need of shelter. For trial services, let outreach and diversion staff use their best judgment to determine how much risk a client is. Within the past week and a half, Stephanie has called about 5 times to get a client a bed. It will not be everyone that comes in the door will need a bed today. These are the few occasions where we think if the client walks out, we will lose them.

3.      First training was 9/6/17, about 6 or 7 people showed up. Next one is 9/7/17 for 4pm. After 2:30 p.m., shelters will continue to pull off the smartsheet if they still have open beds. The goal is to kick this off this Monday.

4.      Last meeting there were discussions about smart sheet being too big and storing too much data. It was pushed to a maximum that we didn’t know existed so cleanup day already happened. We were able to shut Smart sheet down for a day to archive data and it is now able to take on new data and not be overburdened. There are also new processes to prevent overload of data. The previous 24 hour waiting period policy changes because everything now restarts at 8am. Staff will also only need to make 2 attempts instead of 3. The reason we are pushing it so quickly is so we can have everything in place before cold weather comes.

5.      In order to prepare for winter, we wanted to throw out some times to discuss cold weather. The group decided weekly Mondays at 3pm will be the cold weather planning meeting going forward.

6.      When there is a holiday on a Monday, can we look into having CAN appointments for youth done by The Connection on another day during the week? John Lawlor will check.

Shelter Beds for Young Adults

1.      YETI meeting happened last week. One of the two things they wanted was prioritization for youth for shelter waitlist. It was approved but not implemented. Youth will come after tiebreaker of elderly. Second request from YETI, prioritize shelter beds for youth. JH provided data about youth requesting shelter, removing those who refused based on 11 months of data.

2.      Would any of the shelters be interested in prioritizing some of their existing beds or reprogramming for prioritized shelter beds? Dedicated youth outreach is Juanita Blabock. Kara from DOH feels she can’t make the decision yet because she doesn’t know what the inflow is going to be. Dave thinks it makes it difficult because young adults and older men are different to place them together. Stephanie said youth typically self-resolve after they hear what shelter is like.

3.      SAMH is having issues with two parent households who are both youth but because they are a family unit, they cannot access youth resources. The only time they can get assistance is if they come in as a couple and separate. That is something else we could look at as a barrier. The Connection can only take singles with children but no couples. DCF funds the program. There are lots of couples who are 18-19 years old and putting them in rapid rehousing might not be best intervention for 18-19-year-olds.

4.      YWCA is interested in adding shelter beds but need more resources. SAMH is interested in repurposing beds if necessary. They have an office space that could be turned into a room, close to office and private bathroom. Can accommodate 2 beds in the room. Would be single women or families. Not funded but would want to see how much the bed is being used.

5.      Stephanie asked where we should be sending people with this age group if it’s not Monday and the Connection is full. SPI has always taken youth in their shelter, no separate room or dorms. Interval House cannot set aside beds.

GH CAN Committee Updates

a.      Family Housing Matching

a.      Not formal subcommittee updates. Updates had active weeks last week. Last matching meeting where we came across scenario that we have talked about. We had PSH openings but no families on the by-name-list met the need. We are now at the point with the family by—name-list that we expect this to keep happening. One of the referrals that was matched was a bridge. CRT expects some 2 bedrooms to become available soon. Both openings are project based units. They are unable to put in a single because they cannot over house people.

                                                              i.     One option suggested was to explore other families in other CANs. If reading COCs, we should be exhausting all chronic families in the state. Easiest thing to do is let Kara know they have openings so they can spread the word.

                                                             ii.     Other thing we need to think about is when scattered site certificates are available, are they really needed for families or do we ask programs to change the certificates to generate smaller size certificates to accommodate more individuals? The committee is Trying to not put families with disabling conditions who don’t need the services. Trying to save it for that population who really needs it. Disabling condition needs to be long term. CRT Chrysalis (Family Matters) and Crane’s grants are scattered site. CRT said they can serve singles or families.

b.      GH CAN Veteran Committee

a.      Veteran group finally came together last week. Had issue with CAN Appointments but it is now resolved. Continue to call Amy when you are working with a veteran. Need to look up GPDs vs. Transitions in Place. Rocky Hill is deemed as institution so not eligible for housing because they are not considered homeless. Veterans should be highest priority if they are literally homeless veteran. Matching for Veterans PSH should happen within the CAN. If 211 catches a vet, they schedule them to a vet CAN assessment.

c.      Rapid Rehousing Bridging Subcommittee

a.      When clients are looking like they are not succeeding in RRH and may need PSH, when is the best time to bring them up? The group decided to bring clients up at month 4 at housing matching meeting.

b.      There is still a miscommunication about why do we try to give our lightest touch to folks? Kara will be offering training for RRH at Pliny St. on 9/13/17 from 1p.m.-3p.m. to frontline staff. Ask to leadership is to let staff come, want to get everyone on the same page for rapid rehousing. Calling RRH training role clarification which might be difficult for some case managers. Goal is to reframe everyone’s mind and setting structure for case management. First conversation with clients is to tell them your job to get them out as possible. Every conservation should be “where are you going to live”? Our system is not going to move to next level of rapid rehousing people until everyone is moving in the same direction and on the same page. Iris asked what needs to be in place when termination of ST RRH or LT RRH? May be discussed at training. RRH is not a cookie cutter program, more individualized. The conversation should be client driven. Never should be “this is what the program can pay for you” because they’re going to take it. PSH case managers are used to 30% of the income because it’s straightforward.

d.      GH CAN Housing Data

a.      Potentially chronic clients = 36. Lowest it has ever been. Reason is multiple things such as due diligence and receiving more homeless verifications. 1 client who needs to be bridged to PSH and 10 who have already been matched to PSH from bridging. Once we get to 0, we will have more flexibility in matching because we won’t automatically put folks in PSH and we can look at other factors to use progressive engagement. Once we end chronic homelessness, progressive engagement will be easier.

Future agenda items:

               SIF – Barbara Shaw, won’t be until October 4.